BALTIMORE — How are we going to solve juvenile crime?
Some people in Baltimore say it's less about locking kids up and more about getting them to resources.
WATCH: Community members ask officials how do we solve juvenile crime?
While Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates agrees, he said sometimes kids need a time-out and the system itself needs to do a 180.
A conversation about juvenile crime Tuesday night brought out a full house of people at Huber Memorial Church, all wondering what the city is doing about the pressing issue.
The event was put on by Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates.
"Last year was 1,126 juveniles charged with juvenile offenses," Bates said.
Community members participating in the conversation, like Michelle Duberry, told WMAR 2 News that putting kids behind bars isn't the solution.
"If crime is up, it's because we as a community have failed our children. If a 15, 14-year-old is doing something they're not supposed to do that is not only their fault; it's also our fault as a community," Duberry said.
15-year-old Arianna Ortiz said the focus on juvenile crime leaves many kids her age in a constant state of fear of getting arrested.
"You have to be really careful walking around and everything," Ortiz said.
14-year-old Alayah Marcus told WMAR 2 News that's why she thinks offering her peers resources, like mentors, is the best course of action.
"Since we're in the generation, we probably can, like, tell more older adults that are trying to help, like, we can also tell them how the kids are acting, what things can help," Marcus said. "Maybe people that have already been there in that type of lifestyle could try to talk to the younger kids. People that are out of that lifestyle now like they've got their life together."
Bates said the solution starts with the community.
"I believe it's very important that we get back to making sure our young people understand faith."
He recognizes other organizations are already doing the work to end juvenile crime, like B-360, the Stokey Project, and more.
But Bates thinks the entire system still needs to change, saying instead of DJS making the decisions, that should be left up to the courts.
"The public defender is advocating for the young person, DJs is advocating for the young person, and our office is advocating for the community. The judge would make the decision on what to do with this young person with this felony," he said.
But people still wonder, what about kids' futures after they are charged?
"After you get a stain on your record, how do you get a job?" one woman asked.
"We have a program called The réengagement center within the Baltimore City Public Schools. So when Trey come home a stain is not a stain; it's a dot. It can be erased with good behavior and do the things you need to do to become a good student," said the chief of Baltimore City School Police, Jeffrey Shorter.
Bates' strategic plan to make Baltimore a safer place is broken up into multiple parts focused on fairness, accountability, collaboration, technology, and setting the standard.
The City State's Attorney's Office seeks to:
- Develop and implement a victim and witness satisfaction survey tool to evaluate and improve service delivery.
- Develop division-level strategic plans.
- Collaborate with various criminal justice partners to explore the creation of a regional prosecution coordination council.
- Redesign the office's website to improve user experience and better communicate the office's mission, vision, programs and resources.
- Develop a district and circuit court trial advocacy curriculum that supports professional development and fosters a high-performance culture.
If you have any feedback about the plan, you can reach out to the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City at comments@stattorney.org
